8 Apr
2003
8 Apr
'03
6:56 a.m.
If they used Norton then they were a few years too early to warrant
giving him any credit. He was a PC guy that released the Norton
Utilities in 1982-1983 timeframe - after the blinkly light period
of the late 70s (unless someone can tell me what credit Peter
should deserve for the non-pc era).
best regards, Steve Thatcher
"Altair".
--- Original Message ---
From: Jeffrey Sharp <jss(a)subatomix.com>
To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
Date: 4/8/03 3:32:39 AM
On Monday, April 7, 2003, Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
> On Mon, 7 Apr 2003, Andrew Strouse wrote:
> > Hi all. I was watching Malcom in the Middle last night
and they had a
> > classic computer storyline. The were
cleaning out their
garage and
> > found a "Nortair" computer. It
looked to me like an altair
front panel
> > with the base but no cover and no cards
inside.
>
> I guess that name is supposed to be a catenation of "Northstar"
and
"Altair".
You give these people too much credit. I'd say "Norton" and
--
Jeffrey Sharp
8 Apr
8 Apr
7:35 a.m.
On Tuesday, April 8, 2003, Steve Thatcher wrote:
From: Jeffrey Sharp <jss(a)subatomix.com>
No, I meant that Sellam was giving the TV show's makers too much credit.
The way I thunk it, they knew that this Norton guy had been around for a
while, and they 'knew' that the Altair was the 'first computer', so they
just put them together. That was based on my opinions on how much Hollywood
and friends know about computer history.
--
Jeffrey Sharp
On Monday, April 7, 2003, Vintage Computer
Festival wrote:
If they used Norton then they were a few years too early to warrant giving
him any credit. He was a PC guy that released the Norton Utilities in
1982-1983 timeframe - after the blinkly light period of the late 70s
(unless someone can tell me what credit Peter should deserve for the
non-pc era). I guess that name is supposed to be a catenation
of "Northstar" and
"Altair".
You give these people too much credit. I'd say "Norton" and
"Altair". 
8:49 a.m.
On Tue, 8 Apr 2003, Jeffrey Sharp wrote:
No, I meant that Sellam was giving the TV show's
makers too much credit.
The way I thunk it, they knew that this Norton guy had been around for a
while, and they 'knew' that the Altair was the 'first computer', so they
just put them together. That was based on my opinions on how much Hollywood
and friends know about computer history.
It could be that there's a vintage geek on the show's writing crew. But
anyway, I don't know why they didn't just make it an Altair. It's not
like they would be violating copyrights or giving some company free
advertising. Who knows.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
* Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *
9:05 a.m.
On Tue, 8 Apr 2003, Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
It could be that there's a vintage geek on the
show's writing crew. But
anyway, I don't know why they didn't just make it an Altair. It's not
like they would be violating copyrights or giving some company free
advertising. Who knows.
How much does it cost for a "product placement"?
Might there be a studio POLICY that NO product name goes unmangled until
fees are paid?
OR
If they used a REAL name, then geeks would write in griping about
inaccuracies of model number, etc. If they HAD said Altair, and used a
homemade mockup, instead of a real one, then they would become the subject
of lots of email on lists like this.
Therefore, what they had probably WAS a Nortair. The only Nortair to ever
exist.
10:08 a.m.
> It could be that there's a vintage geek on
the show's writing crew. But
> anyway, I don't know why they didn't just make it an Altair. It's not
> like they would be violating copyrights or giving some company free
> advertising. Who knows.
How much does it cost for a "product
placement"?
Might there be a studio POLICY that NO product name goes unmangled until
fees are paid?
OR
If they used a REAL name, then geeks would write in griping about
inaccuracies of model number, etc. If they HAD said Altair, and used a
homemade mockup, instead of a real one, then they would become the subject
of lots of email on lists like this.
Therefore, what they had probably WAS a Nortair. The only Nortair to ever
exist.
I ?ove your explanation Fred.
Gruss
H.
--
VCF Europa 4.0 am 03./04. Mai 2003 in Muenchen
http://www.vcfe.org/
10:30 a.m.
Hans Franke wrote:
>>It could be that there's a vintage geek on
the show's writing crew. But
>>anyway, I don't know why they didn't just make it an Altair. It's
not
>>like they would be violating copyrights or giving some company free
>>advertising. Who knows.
>>
>>
Looking at it, it had an Altair front panel, but behind that it looked
like a stereo inside. Was there any audio equipment company starting
with "Nor" that they could have cojoined to Altair?
And, considering that he broke it in half over his knee, I doubt anyone
who ever picked up a real Altair would believe that someone could
possibly do that.
How much does it cost for a "product
placement"?
Might there be a studio POLICY that NO product name goes unmangled until
fees are paid?
OR
If they used a REAL name, then geeks would write in griping about
inaccuracies of model number, etc. If they HAD said Altair, and used a
homemade mockup, instead of a real one, then they would become the subject
of lots of email on lists like this.
Therefore, what they had probably WAS a Nortair. The only Nortair to ever
exist.
I ?ove your explanation Fred. 
9 Apr
9 Apr
3:45 a.m.
At 06:00 PM 08/04/2003, you wrote:
I once caught an XT with my knee when the cover came off
unexpectedly, it didn't seem to bother the XT, can't say the same for my knee!
Charlie Fox
Charles E. Fox Video Production
793 Argyle Rd.
Windsor Ontario Canada N8Y 3J8
519-254-4991 foxvideo(a)wincom.net
Check out the "Camcorder Kindergarten"
at http://chasfoxvideo.com
And,
considering that he broke it in half over his knee, I doubt anyone
who ever picked up a real Altair would believe that someone could
possibly do that.
It would be best to not argue with anybody who is capable of breaking an
Altair over their knee.
8:52 a.m.
>It would be best to not argue with anybody who is
capable of breaking an
>Altair over their knee.
On Wed, 9 Apr 2003, Charles E. Fox wrote:
I once caught an XT with my knee when the
cover came off
unexpectedly, it didn't seem to bother the XT, can't say the same for my knee!
During the Loma Prieta quake, a seven foot high three foot wide bookcase
full of computer books toppled onto an open 5150 in my office. It bent
the corner of the case slightly.
7809
days inactive
7810
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8 comments
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participants (7)
-
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
foxvideo＠wincom.net -
Hans.Franke＠mch20.sbs.de -
jss＠subatomix.com -
kth＠srv.net -
melamy＠earthlink.net -
vcf＠siconic.com